Journey of the Magi

I don't know why, but I really love Epiphany. I look forward to going to an Epiphany service as much as a carol service. I think it reminds me that Christmas isn't quite over - well not just yet, and not to rush onto the next thing but to savour the season fully.  

A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year

For a journey, and such a long journey

T. S. Eliot Journey of the Magi

journeying

Happy Epiphany to you x

The month of December

Started with a visit to the where I used to live in London, in fact walking past the end of my old road, to visit a friend who is involved in an open studio there. It was a lovely chance to eat mince pies and more importantly catch up with her.
A wonderful crisp walk across Blackheath and Greenwich park and knowing that now it's December we can really feel Christmassy.
Eating too many delicious Ecchelfechan
Up and out early to try and finish our Christmas shopping, a successful trip we were back home having bought what was needed by midday.
Wrapping up and sending my Olive Dragonfly Secret Santa gift.
A mismatched week whilst the front room was being decorated - but my it was worth it. Sitting here all decorated and with our Christmas tree is December bliss.
Off to great friends' wedding. Delicious lunch in a local pub, a wonderful service, with the occasional bauble rolling off the Christmas tree, then the reception. Catching up with old friends, some whom I haven't seen for a few years. A lovely way to truly feel festive.
Finally the last week of term. End of term concerts, Reception class nativity complete with arguing Wise Men, class Christmas parties and finally the staff pantomime, Cinderella.
Discovering that what I thought was a book shop very near our home is the most delightful one with it's own reading room and complimentary tea. Ink and Folly I look forward to being a frequent customer.
Meeting dear friends for an annual Christmas meal at Loch Fyne and more importantly catch up.
Most thankful for the above book shop. We managed to find the book we needed for a Blessing in there so no need to go anywhere else.
A quiet day due to end of term exhaustion, sad to miss a dear friends Champagne and Shepherd's Pie party.
A lazy Sunday wrapping presents, Granny Warmth coming up and going out for a local lunch. Then Mama and Papa Warmth coming round for mince pies.
Christmas Eve spent listening to Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's whilst baking sweets for Christmas day. Peppermint Bark a huge success, discovered from Papermash originally from here. Orange and Cranberry biscotti and Chocolate Kisses.
Christmas Eve supper of M&S turkey, bread sauce, red cabbage, roast potatoes, parsnips as an early Christmas gift to Warmth, we were having beef on Christmas day.
A wet drive down to Twin and the Blessings. Mother was already there. Opening of presents, a short walk in the few moments of dry weather, a delicious lunch, Skype call to Pops who was in Jerusalem, having been in Bethlehem for Christmas Eve and the service there. We sang to Pops and apparently the whole of the hotel lobby heard us. Boxing Day walk followed by delicious leftover lunch and then time for us to pack up and say our festive goodbyes.
Getting ready for hosting Warmth's family for our Christmas celebrations. We ate well and I continued my tradition of making a Chocolate Yule Log.
Having so much food left over that when dear friends came for supper the next day we ate leftovers and still have some leftover. As we hadn't had to cook supper breakfast was baked croque monsieur.
Loving reading Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, the perfect December read, even though most of the stories aren't about Christmas. Alys, always by Harriet Lane. Instead of a book by Diana Athill - a present for Christmas last year. Devouring Jerusalem by Ottolonghi, a happily received Christmas gift. Now to plan what to cook.

And for today we're going to see A Christmas Carol, then on for cocktails and home to snuggle up and welcome in 2013.

The fat turkey

'There never was such a Christmas dinner as they had that day. The fat turkey was a sight to behold, when Hannah sent him up, stuffed, browned and decorated. So was the plum-pudding, which quite melted in one's mouth;' Louisa May Alcott Little Women

Christmasdinner

However you're spending the day today, festive love x

unwholesome food

Today's #shareadvent is 'Carry out a family tradition or start a new one.' Each Christmas we gather new traditions. Maybe this year's is a Christmas tea with Granny Warmth at our home.

'every year at Compton Bobbin the German and Sussex customs were made to play their appointed parts. Thus the Christmas Tree, Christmas stockings and other activities of Santa Claus, and the exchange through the post of endless cards and calenders (German); the mistletoe and holly decorations, the turkeys, the boar's head, and a succession of carol singers and mummers (Sussex Roman Catholic); and the unlimited opportunity to over-eat on every sort of unwholesome food washed down with honest beer, which forms the groundwork for both schools of thought, combined to provide the ingredients of Lady Bobbin's Christmas Pudding.' Nancy Mitford Christmas Pudding

christmascake

What are your Christmas traditions?

comfort and joy

I'm not sure I'll make the #shareadvent prompt of 'go to a carol concert' today as it's the last day of term and I shall be busy being Buttons in the staff pantomime. So to ensure we do have carols today I give you this quote.

'At this moment Nina came in to say that there were carol singers outside the drawing room window.
'Bring 'em in,' said the Colonel. 'Bring 'em in. They come every year. And tell Florin to bring up the punch.'
Florin brought up the punch in a huge silver punch bowl... They stood against the sideboard, caps in hand, blinking in the gaslight, and very red about the nose and cheeks with the sudden warmth.

'Oh, tidings of comfort and joy,' they sang. 'comfort and joy,
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.'

They sang Good King Wenceslas, and The First Noel, and Adeste Fidelis, and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.' Evelyn Waugh Vile Bodies

singers

moon-mistletoe

We're at a wedding today so 'hang mistletoe in your home' for #shareadvent is perfect. We've yet to decide where to hang the mistletoe we've bought but I do hope there's at least one sprig somewhere at the wedding...

'The long street was packed with people, and there was a feeling of frost in the air, but no stars, only a dense, muffling bed of cloud almost touching the bare beechwoods on the hidden hills all around the town. In the butchers' shops the dangling turkeys were tied up with red ribbon, and hares decorated with spiked bunches of holly and moon-mistletoe..' Stella Gibbons The Little Christmas Tree in Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm

mistletoe

feast days

Today with #shareadvent it's Gratitude. This post makes me grateful for a festivity to break up the dark winter months. An excuse to see family, celebrate, reflect and be joyful.

'How wise and right feast days were, and how cleverly Christmas broke up the winter ... just when the weight of the cold and darkness were beginning to make themselves felt.' Elizabeth Cambridge Hostages to Fortune

light

hot and shimmering with candles

The prompt for #shareadvent today is. 'Light a candle. Remember. Give Thanks.'

'Audrey stood and looked at the Christmas tree. She had had a good tea, though not as good as she would have liked, or could have managed. Now there was this new and shining thing. The little spindling thuya which she had seen, dusty and lonely, in its pot, stood translated. Its spiky boughs stood out stiffly. bright with red, yellow and pink butterflies, hot and shimmering with candles. 
The point of the flames strained upwards, there was a smell of warm wax. she was too happy to shout or sing. She was so happy that she had a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. It hurt, yet she wished that this minute could go on forever. The wonderful tree was true.' Elizabeth Cambridge Hostages to fortune.

candle

#shareadvent

compounding of Christmas cakes

One of my favourite books is Jane Eyre. I re read it this year and saved this quote for Christmas and today on #shareadvent it's read a favourite book.

'My first aim will be to clean down... Moor House from chamber to cellar; my next to rub it up with beeswax, oil, and an indefinite number of cloths, till it glitters again; my third, to arrange every chair, table, bed, carpet, with mathematical precision, afterwards I shall go near to ruin you in coals and peat to keep up good fires in every room; and lastly, the two days preceding that on which your sisters are expected will be devoted by Hannah and me to such a beating of eggs, sorting of currants, grating of spices, compounding of Christmas cakes, chopping up of materials for mince pies, and solemnizing of other culinary rites...' Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre

home

How will you be preparing your home for Christmas?

a large holly wreath

Anna at Skin and Blister is hosting a wonderful idea of #shareadvent. I'm hoping to join in through taking part with activities and photos on instagram. I also thought I'd try to link some Christmas quotes into this. The first day is Make/Buy a wreath.

'There was a great deal of interest in Christmas decorations; Mrs Bridge very much enjoyed them, but at the same time they presented her with a problem: if you did not put up any decorations you were being conspicuous, and if you put up too many you were being conspicuous. At the very least there should be a large holly wreath on the front door; at most there might be half a dozen decorations visible including the Christmas tree...
Every year, then, the Bridges' home was festive without being ostentatious. A strand of green lights was woven through the branches of a small spruce tree near the front porch, and there was a wreath in each of the first floor windows and a large wreath with a red ribbon and a cluster of bells attached to the knocker of the front door. Inside, in a corner of the living room away from the heat of the fireplace, stood the tree. it's topmost branches clipped or bent so as not to stain the ceiling, and a bed sheet draped around the bottom... Presents were arranged on the sheet and a few small presents tied to the limbs. There was tinsel on the tree, and there were peppermint candy canes and popcorn balls and electric candles, and some new ornaments each year to replace the broken ones.' Evan S. Connell Mrs Bridge

Will you have a wreath this year?

wreath

#shareadvent

The month of November

Last day of the holidays and Warmth had the day off. A day of chores and beginning the paint choosing for the newly plastered front room. Will it be Lamp Room Gray, French Gray, Elephant's Breath or Old White?
A lovely afternoon/evening with Warmth's brother and wife. starting off with drinks in the Young Vic bar and then a carb fest of burgers, chips and mac cheese, the vegetables being onion rings, courgette fries and a slice of pickle at Byron Burger.
A very wet Sunday with a mooch at We Make London Fair and resting before returning back to school. What a lovely relaxing week it's been.
Back to school and Friday night supper with Mama and Papa Warmth who've just come back from some time in France.
Then off to my parents for a family weekend to say goodbye to Pops who is now in Palestine with EAPPI. A weekend of food. Arriving in time for tea and rock cakes, a Chinese takeaway, a delicious breakfast whilst Pops opened his Christmas gifts, then a glorious walk along the beach in Deal before home for roast pork, the choice of three puddings and a huge cheese board. Then a tearful au revoir.
Meeting up with my dear old colleagues at our favourite restaurant for chat, Early Years news and friendship. A very lovely belated birthday gift of vouchers for Anthropologie meant that I could buy the measuring cups I've been drooling over for the last month. So glad I resisted the other times.
Meeting up with a dear university friend at Tate Britain for the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. How funny to read this as the opening line of my book on the train in.
'There is a certain room in the Tate Gallery which, in these unregenerate days is more a passage-way towards the French pictures...'
'He now observed that it was mostly hung with large with large and unpleasant works of the 'Every picture tells a story' school, interspersed with some rather inferior examples of pre-Raphaelitism...' Nancy Mitford Christmas Pudding
A very lovely Friday night in with mother and then a very cold, wet, grey mis Saturday beginning the Christmas shopping.
Lunch with Mama and Papa Warmth.
Suddenly feeling it getting much colder...

Reading The other side of truth by Beverley Ngaioo for the English course I'm on through school. A little troubling reading about refugees and trying to get into a country just as dad was flying to Israel and then onto Palestine in the midst of everything. Making a long waited for start on the first of my Christmas books - Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford. No baking, apart from the ubiquitous banana bread, I'm all ready for December baking though.

two boxes of fancy notepaper

We started some of our Christmas shopping this weekend and had our traditional Christmas shopping lunch of a Pret turkey sandwich.

'Either side of the crowded dirty street the lights were coming out in the shop windows. Snow fingered their faces like cold feathers. They went gay. They bought red, green, yellow, and solferino candles in a box for a shilling at an ironmongers, they bought red and gold cake frill for sixpence at a cash drug stores, and two boxes of fancy notepaper and two pairs of gloves at a drapers. They bought oranges, and chocolate mice, and soap babies, and penny whistles for the stockings...' Elizabeth Cambridge Hostages to Fortune

gifts

Are you an organised buy gifts in advance person or do you like to save it for nearer the time?

The month of October

The first Friday night and oh the rain. I've decided that rain on a Friday night should be banned. Meeting a dear friend who has just cycled LEJO'G for catch up drinks at Pix, resisting the tapas that are deliciously displayed there. Then on to meet with other friends at a bar on Dean Street. Oh this bar. I felt too old and as I had already thankfully caught up with friend I left to meet Warmth. Walking to where he was I passed Soho Joe, Burger & Lobster and DuckSoup three places that I really want to eat at. Joining Warmth in the rain at Cinnamon Soho for some food. The joys of small plate menus is joining late means everyone just gets to eat more.
Friday night supper with Mama and Papa Warmth.
A Saturday visit to Greenwich Auctions followed by a walk across Greenwich Park to Blackheath. collecting shining conkers on the way.
Twin and The Blessings to lunch. A roast dinner and another delightful autumnal walk in the local woods. Discussing which home Christmas will be celebrated in this year.
Baking Hot Chocolate Cup Cakes by the Hummingbird Bakery for the return from our autumnal walk.
Meeting up with dear friends that haven't gathered together for a while at Cork and Bottle in Leicester Square. How many times have I walked past this unassuming entrance right in the heart of Leicester Square. A cosy wine and food place perfect for an October evening.
Meeting up with friends for a lazy Saturday lunch at The Sun Inn and asked to be godmother. So Amity joins Toby, Oliver, Annabel, Amara and Juliette.
Sunday afternoon shopping in Anthropologie and Liberty's for two of the above godchildren's birthday gifts.
Celebrating the last day of half term by meeting a dear friend for pizza at favourite restaurant Rocket.
Celebrating an early start to half term because of Eid by meeting another dear friend and finally sampling the delicious food of Ottolenghi. I now want to buy, and cook from his new book Jerusalem.
A lazy Saturday and a late supper at Ganapati with friends. An even lazier Sunday with mother and Pops popping in for crumpets and cake.
Another lazy holiday day - though this was because the front room was being plastered so I just had to laze upstairs and read.
Finishing the month off with a trip to the V&A with Twin and the Blessings to see the Hollywood Costume exhibition.
Finally given up on JHD365 photo a day and a slight blogging lull.
Baking said Hot Chocolate Cup Cakes and the most delicious Cherry Marzipan cake.
Reading The Snow child by Eowyn Ivey and for a course at work The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird. Finishing the month reading Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple.

How was your October?

The Month of January

Started with a small supper party to celebrate the new year.
After the postponed meet ups with Warmth and his brother we finally met for drinks at The Duke of Wellington.
Hurrah! Both Warmth and I had the Tuesday off work. We braved the elements to walk into town and then had the last day of Christmas munching, took down the tree and the cards and finally at 4pm on the last day of my holidays I started some school work.
A Warmth Family gathering for Card of the Year. A Warmth family tradition of judging each Christmas card and then announcing a winner, and also loser... This year betting was added to the mix. We then played Charades, although I so now want to call it The Game after Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey. Finally Consequences. All washed down with much laughter, prosecco, sausages, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. Christmas has finally ended.
Exploring our new home. A walk to Oxlea Woods. Lovely - I know we will return.
Book Club - discussing our book, Christmas, shopping and so much more.
An early Saturday brunch on the opposite side of London. Lovely to catch up with old book club friends. Then a wintery mooch in Barnes and meeting Warmth's brother and wife for drinks.
A delicious Sunday lunch with friends and then a cold walk around their local park.
Finally swapping to the new blogger - and liking it very quickly.
Meeting a friend in Shoreditch. Exploring BoxPark and a warming supper at The Albion.
Friday supper with the dear old colleagues at Sofra.
Saturday travelling westward again, this time back to Putney, home for my first six years in London. A late afternoon hot chocolate and glass of red wine with one of my first teaching friends. Then a party at one of the boat clubs along the river.
A Sunday birthday celebration lunch at Baltic for Warmth's father's 75th birthday.
Meeting up with a dearest best girl and exploring Drink Shop Do. Oh it is fantastic and feminine. Cocktails and cakes with a little bit of shopping thrown in for good measure.
Finally ordering our wallpaper for the dining room.
Off to friends for the night. Delicious Chinese take away and more importantly a catch up.
Setting up a tumblr JHD366. I've managed a month of a photo a day. Hoping to keep going for another 11 months.

Books read - Finishing Good Wives, reading Wait for me! by Deborah Duchess of Devonshire. I realise the last few books I've read have all been about sisters - and lots of them! Finally my Persephone Secret Santa - Hostages to Fortune by Elizabeth Cambridge.

Discovering the first snowdrop in our garden...

.

The Month of December

Started with Christmas shopping in full swing. Hopeful awaiting of parcels, marching through the crowds, trying not to buy presents for me...
A visit to Mortlake to see Warmth's brother and wife's new home with the other brother and his wife. A fun evening of laughter and then tapas lookng forward to many more in their home.
Meeting up with university friends in Browns for our annual Christmas lunch.
Meeting Warmth's brother and wife who live near us in their newly renovated local pub.
Getting ready for a family Christmas gathering. Lots of cooking, cleaning and decorating in advance. Much fun on the day. And many left overs to nibble on afterwards.
Travelling back to West London and back in time to leaving drinks for a former colleague. Lots of memories and catching up.
Meeting up with a dear friend to discover she and her family are going to be moving to Singapore in the summer. We don't see alot of each other but I will really miss our six monthly meet ups in Angel over supper and a bottle of wine.
A quiet weekend together ending with Sunday afternoon tea at Warmth' s parents. Mince pies, tea loaf and warming tea.
Finally the end of term. Celebrating by meeting a dear friend for mooching, Wahaca and cocktails.
Meeting my dear old colleagues for a celebratory supper and catch up. Each time we meet we say 'oh I miss you'. Then a hop across the river to catch up with other dear friends reuniting. Finally the last train home.
A lovely Christmas Eve with Warmth. Leisurely morning then into town to Dickens' house for a reading of A Christmas Carol, mulled wine, mince pies and a good old nose around his house.
A cold and quiet walk to London Bridge to meet Brother for drinks. Alas chosen pub was closed. Off to where they live. Alas their local pub was closed. So back home for a Christmas Eve drink.
Christmas Day. Opening gifts in front of the fire with a delicious cup of tea. Part of the Warmth family, with Granny Warmth came for bucks fizz & biscuits. Then some of us walked to the other brother's so we were all together for a lovely delicious family Christmas day.
Boxing Day a drive to Kent to my family. A cold Christmas meal, more pudding, brandy butter, fizz, wine, laughter and family.
Meeting friends in Blackheath for lunch, just a salad for me please, at The Railway.
Meeting Warmth for a Friday Late at Tate Modern viewing Gerhard Richter and then on for tapas at Brindisa
A re arranged New Years' Eve. Now just Warmth and I. We're going to the matinee of The Pitman Painters then a cocktail before being back in our new home for spaghetti carbonara and bubbles to welcome in 2012.

Baking for Christmas gathering shepherd's pie. Nigella's courgette fritters, Yule log, a rebake of the plum and orange cake from River Cafe Easy. Mother kindly brought along the family favourite of Bethlehem Star Pie. Nigella's Gold Dust biscuits as gifts for friends with a glittery bird attached just incase there wasn't enough sparkle. Chestnut and Lentil soup for Christmas Eve. Stilton and walnut biscuits for Christmas Day.
Books read The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides for book club. Little Women and Good Wives by Louise May Alcott for Florence Finds book club.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year x

That this is the best time to dream

For, after the gospels,
After the human and divine comedies,
After the one thousand and one nights,
After crime and punishment,
War and peace, pride and prejudice,
The sound and the fury,
Between good and evil,
Being and nothingness,
After the tempest, the trial,
And the wasteland,
After things have fallen apart,
After the hundred years of solitude,
And the rememberance of things past,
In the kingdom of this world,
We can still astonish the gods in humanity
And be the stuff of legends,
If we but dare to be real,
And have the courage to see
That this is the best time to dream
The best dream of them all.
Ben Okri, last stanza 'Mental Fight'

With Christmas Love x

This time in December

Today it's Carol Ann Duffy's birthday and so any excuse for some Duffy. This piece comes from her 'Another Night before Christmas'.

Then she watched as the room filled with magic and light
As the spirit of Christmas made everything bright
And suddenly presents were heaped by the tree -
But she didn't wonder, which ones are for me?

For the best gift of all is to truly believe
In the wonderful night that we call Christmas Eve,
When adults remember, of all childhood's laws,
This time in December will bring Santa Claus.
presents

How will you be spending today?

Persephone Secret Santa

Last week a parcel arrived. On the back was written 'Persephone Secret Santa!' And inside.....

A lovely card, holly Christmas tree decoration and Elizabeth Cambridge Hostages to fortune from Simon at Stuck in a Book. What is so lovely is that I gave to Simon last year for Persephone Secret Santa, and he mentioned this in his card.

Thank you Simon for the gifts - I look forward to finding time to read this inbetween Christmas and New Year.

And thank you Claire and Verity for organising it again this year.

What did you receive/give for Persephone Secret Santa?

The pleasantest week

"...and the second week in December, when she chose her Christmas presents for all her nieces and nephews, was the pleasantest week in the year to her." F.M. Mayor The Third Miss Symons

Some how I don't think Miss Symon's would buy this many, wrapped in pink and piled high on a car - but maybe she'll suprise us.

How is your Christmas shopping going?

Wishing you all a most pleasant week.

A feast of cake

'She remembered the great decorated kitchen, with holly hung from the rafters among the salt-rimed shrouded hams and puddings, a fiddler on the back stairs, and a feast of cake and fruit and pasties, wine and whisky.' Winifred Holtby South Riding
cake, fruit
What are your Christmas memories of food?